ABSTRACT
This chapter is concerned with the means by which the contents of documents can be proved. It is not concerned with the admissibility of the contents of documents: that is determined by the rules discussed in Parts II and III. In order to be admissible, the contents of a document must be relevant to the facts in issue, and must not fall foul of any of the exclusionary rules of evidence. This will depend on the purpose for which the evidence is being adduced, a question which is discussed below. Once the purpose for which the evidence is being adduced has been identified, it will be possible to assess whether the contents of the document are relevant and admissible. Once this has been established, consideration can turn to the issues discussed in this chapter.
